Cornyn: Trial of Osama bin Laden’s son-in-law should be in Gitmo, not New York

Abu Ghaith reading a prerecorded message broadcast by the television station late 09 October 2001. Abu Ghaith urged “all Muslims” to join in a jihad, or holy war, against the United States and to attack US interests around the world.

Texas Sen. John Cornyn is pleased by the news that Osama-Bin-Laden’s son-in-law, longtime spokesman for Al Qaeda, has been captured — but he’s not as enthusiastic about the Obama administration’s decision to bring him to New York rather than the American military base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Sulaiman Abu Gaith was captured sometime last week in Jordan, and was charged with conspiracy to kill Americans in New York this morning.

“This is a man who was in the inner circle of Bin Laden’s Al Quaeda’s operations, now we have him alive and he’s talking,” Chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Austin, told ABC News.

Cornyn released a statement admonishing the president for not notifying Congress of the trial earlier.

“Rather than issuing doomsday predictions about sequestration, the president should be notifying Congress he’s planning a U.S. civilian court trial for a terrorist who took credit for 9/11,” Cornyn said.

Cornyn and other Republicans are protesting the decision to bring the alleged terrorist into the United States, saying that he should be detained in Guantanamo Bay. In a joint statement, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., said Obama’s decision makes the nation less safe.

“The president may not like it, but the fact remains: Gitmo is still up and running,” Cornyn said. “And as long as it is, it’s the only place where we should be detaining America’s most dangerous enemy combatants—period.”

President Obama promised to close Guantanamo Bay in his first presidential campaign, and the administration still says he remains committed to the pledge and doesn’t plan to add to the number of detainees held there.

“In this case, the president’s national security team examined this matter and unanimously agreed that prosecution of (Abu) Ghaith in federal court will best protect the national security interests of the United States.” Department of Justice spokesman Wyn Hornbuckle said.